Early Morning Blues

[Kabu]

During her youth Shizuku had always hated getting up early, not having been a morning person in even the loosest meaning of the words. More recently however, she had found herself being more and more of an early riser, currently being wide awake despite it being approximately 5 in the morning. Why so early you ask? Well, because she and Yozei had agreed to do a training session today and well, despite any excuses that she may try to make, she had simply woken up early so rather than going back to bed she decided that it would be better to use the time productively and start sooner rather than later.

Anyways, as they were training today, rather than one of her usual frilly outfits she was wearing her bodysuit, some part of her absentmindedly wondering what Yozei would think of her current look, as she headed down the streets of early morning Konoha, also carrying a basket that held their breakfast, a variety of pastries and warm tea freshly prepared by her mother, whom had also been awake for some reason at this ungodly hour.

Admittedly it took her a while to find the place she was looking for as she couldn't quite remember at first where Yozei had said that he would be staying but soon enough she arrived, her lips turning up into a grin as she realized that he may still be asleep. The thought of simply leaving a clone in place and running away to their training spot came to mind but she quickly shook away the thoughts just as they came. She had been told, albeit indirectly, in no uncertain terms, not to prank her teammates and she was going to keep that promise.

Still though, as she knocked on the door she couldn't help but grin as she thought about how he may react to being woken so very early if he did still happen to be asleep. Besides, some part of her wanted to actually see his sleepy face.

She was certain that this was going to be a very great morning.

[Izanagi]

It had only been about a week since team Aina had come together and already Yozei was filled with newfound drive and determination. It was amazing how much a little bit of comradery and friendship could motivate someone. He had been doing some more exercise on his own time, finally putting proper effort into his fitness rather than relying on his natural physique and he had even managed to get Shizuku to agree to a one on one training session with him. Perhaps this anticipation was partially responsible in of itself for his desire to tone up his body. He had thought about the Yamanaka girl often since first meeting her and he hoped that they could become close friends.

Though he had been staying with his father, Aina and all of his siblings for the past few weeks it was the address of his mother which he had given to Shizuku. She already knew of course that his father was the Hokage and even that their own Sensei was his step-mother though he couldn’t help but still want to keep those aspects of his life separate from his team dynamic. The home would be one closer to the heart of the city, located in one of the wealthier areas where the streets were always clean, houses were lavishly decorated and gardens were immaculately maintained. In fact the area was even gated in to further keep potential trespassers at bay. Unfortunately given his circumstances there was no avoiding the fact that his heritage wasn’t exactly ordinary.

Of course Shizuku had been given access to the compound and told which house number the boy was staying at. Perhaps as an oversight however the two hadn’t actually discussed what time she would be heading over at, presumably sometime between breakfast and lunch so Yozei didn’t have any reason to think he would have to go to bed earlier than usual. His mind had kept him awake nearly until midnight and even thereafter he had difficulty sleeping. He wanted the day to go well and found it odd that he was so nervous. Throughout the academy he had girls flocking to him in his final year, practically begging to spend time with him though he had consistently brushed them off, viewing their interests as superficial. Now that he was finally part of a team and with everything out in their open with their introductions and the genuine way in which his teammates had acted towards him Yozei wasn’t about to ignore someone he might be able to properly find a connection with.

Both he and his mother had been sound asleep and so the knocking at the door would go unanswered for some time. Eventually the sound reached him to which he grumbled and groaned incoherently. When after several minutes the knocking didn’t stop the boy irritably slipped out of bed, noting that the sun was barely beginning to rise. Checking the clock he realized it was only ten after five. That was certainly odd. The house-cleaner wasn’t to arrive for another two hours and he had his tutor rescheduled for the afternoon. His mother insisted that he keep up with his royal education and practices, at least whenever she could directly implement such teachings when he stayed with her, even going as far as to drag a tutor back from the palace to reside within Konoha. Suddenly Yozei realized who it must be. “Oh no way…already?” he grumbled, he certainly hadn’t expected anyone his age would willingly wake up to train before dawn.

Quickly dressing and gathering up his shinobi gear he managed to hastily brush his teeth and grab an apple as well as down a quick glass of orange juice. “I’ll be right there!” he shouted from across the sizable home. It wasn’t immensely big though certainly larger than necessary for a single mother and her son. Almost as large as his father’s home in fact which housed half a dozen people with space enough for additional hobby and workout rooms. Finally the boy reached the door, it was almost 5:30 by now but at least he was ready. His hair was messy and his eyes still looked rather sleepy, his clothes somewhat mix-matched with a pair of dark red shorts and a blue long-sleeved shirt, evidently the first suitable clothes he could scrounge together for a potentially warm and sunny day. He held his sword in his left hand, apple in his right. “Mornin’ Shizuku” he greeted as he opened the door and slipped on his sandals. He yawned groggily though seemed in a good mood despite it, hopefully she hadn’t heard his earlier shouts and ramblings at being woken up so darn early. It was likely between the mutters a few choice words would have slipped out and echoed across the home. “So you're a morning person I take it? he asked as he closed the door behind himself, placing the apple in his mouth as he fastened his sheathed sword to his left hip, tying it securely in place. It was then that he noticed what she was wearing. His eyes looked over her slim for for a moment or two. Apple still in mouth he made an attempt at a compliment, "You certainly look..." fatigue clouded his mind as he struggled to search his vocabulary for an appropriate adjective. "Perky" he said at last, blushing slightly as he realized how poorly that could be taken. Quickly he took a bit of the apple before he could say anything else to further lead to embarassment. He was supposed to be good with girls and yet here he was already making a fool of himself.

[Kabu]

Shizuku couldn't help but grin at the sight of Yozei being still very much asleep, his sleepy disheveled appearance actually being fairly cute, though he was cute normally, even as he exited the home and joined her outside, though she couldn't help but blush as he looked her over, the blush deepening as he complimented her. Was it a compliment? Why was she so concerned about the intent? Well.. it was nice regardless. "I didn't used to be but recently I've found myself enjoying the morning hours more and more. There's just something enjoyable about getting to witness the rest of the world slowly waking." she responded to the question he had asked. [color="And thank you."[/color] she added, referring to his latter remark, though she wondered if he would be able to process that fact.

"So where shall we be going for this session?" she asked, as after all they hadn't discussed their actual plans for the day aside from the fact that they would be training. Nothing about what they would be working on or even where they would be going. It was embarrassing really, but she had been so excited that it had simply slipped her mind to ask about any specifics earlier on.

"Oh yes, I also have some tea and pastries for breakfast. Mum went ahead and prepared them, though I'm not entirely sure when she found the time considering they're still warm." she added almost as an afterthought, lifting up the basket that she held and smiling. She had to wonder what her mother was thinking, but in the end it didn't matter much. She was just happy for a chance to share a moment like this with a member of her team. This was a day for them to grow closer after all, and this was just one more way to accomplish that.

[Izanagi]

Yozei noticed the way Shizuku blushed and felt comforted by it. It was nice to have some natural chemistry, he hadn’t fully realized but he did quite like to flirt and be around girls. Typically he got along with them better than guys his age whom more often than not saw him as a rival. Closing the door behind them Yozei walked at Shizuku’s side. Swallowing the bite of apple he looked over at her, straining to listen to her words as he blinked sleep from his eyes. The fresh air was helping to keep him awake at least. “If I can stay awake long enough maybe I’ll understand” he answered, chuckling lightly. Rubbing his eyes with his left hand he yawned, seeming to force himself awake and find some energy for the day ahead. When she thanked him it took a moment or two for him to realize what she was referring to. When it hit him he suddenly snapped to attention “Oh! Yeah, you’re welcome” he added with a genuine smile. He was glad that she took it as a compliment, it was meant to be after all even if it did come out rather awkward.

His smile widened when she asked where they were going. It was actually a place quite special to him. “It’s a nice little stretch of the river, my dad used to train there with uncle Yoru. It was also the first place he took me to train after I moved here” there was a certain unmistakable and genuine happiness to the boy’s tone when he spoke of such memories. Suddenly having a father for the first time in his life and being able to make such memories, training at the river, overlooking the village atop the statue of Takeo’s face, those times meant more to him than anything. Experiencing a parents love for the first time, nothing could truly compare. Suddenly Yozei seemed much more invigorated, just that simple reminder was enough to breathe life into his morning. “Come on, might as well get a warm up jog in” he stated right before Shizuku mentioned the pastries. He smiled again, appreciating the consideration put forth by Shizuku and her mother. “We’ll eat when we get there then!” he announced, nodding to himself. It was going to be a good day.

After about half of hour of jogging at a steady pace they would arrive at the river. Mist coalesced off of the water and the dew could still be seen clinging to the various trees lining the mixed sand and rock of the riverbank. It was in fact quite chilly next to the water though in areas where beams of sunlight peaked through the trees one could see the water droplets everaporating under its gaze and even see the mist slowly parting and dispersing. “I think I’m starting to see what you mean” Yozei spoke softly. It was actually quite fascinating to watch. Exhaling he noted the way his breath fogged up in the cold air even though it was likely to turn out to be quite a warm day. He would normally have never realized that the mornings started off so cold and still, everything changed once the sun came out and rose high into the sky.

[Kabu]

Shizuku had to admit to some slight amount of surprise, pleasant surprise admittedly, at how quickly Yozei had an answer to her question. A place special to him huh? "Ah, that sounds wonderful. Alright, lead the way." Shizuku responded, her own smile widening in return as she sped up her pace to a light jog, some part of her wondering all the while what they would look like right now to outsiders, awake before dawn, dressed for duty and yet, a picnic basket being held in her grip. It must surely have looked like some kind of weird date. Would breakfast and then training even count as a date? Could that have been what her mom had been thinking? Nah, they were just friends and this was simply an opportunity to grow closer and perhaps grow stronger both physically and as a team.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she saw that they had arrived at their destination, the girl just now realizing that she had begun breathing a bit more heavily than usual just from that jog. It was barely noticeable unless one were to pay incredibly close attention but still it bugged her a little. "Phew, I think that I might be out of shape. I knew that I wasn't physically strong but this is ridiculous." she muttered to herself, taking a moment to take a few deep breaths. It was a good thing that she had already decided to train her physical attributes today.

"See, I told you." She suddenly spoke out loud, responding to Yozei's sudden remarks, a grin on her face. It was a fairly chilly morning, though that was surely going to change shortly, but in its own way it made the sight of the mist rolling out over the river even better. "There's just something so very special about this time of day."

[Izanagi]

Yozei smirked playfully as Shizuku claimed she was out of shape. She didn’t seem to be struggling too badly though he had kept the pace pretty slow for her sake. “Looks like we know what to work on then. Train with me and I’ll get you in shape in no time” he assured. Honestly the boy didn’t enjoy physical exercise all that much but he did have a naturally athletic build and he put in enough work to maintain it, though most of his focus was on his skills with chakra. The auburn-haired boy nodded to her comments, “Makes me wish I didn’t feel the need to sleep so much. I love staying up late, something about seeing all the stars and the way the village lights up at night, but the tranquility of the early morning is just as peaceful…maybe I’ll just sleep in the middle of the day instead” he considered with a hearty chuckle. The morning run and now the crisp river-side air had been enough to wake him from his groggy state, for now at least. He was sure it would catch back up to him eventually.

Stretching his arms into the air Yozei twisted a little hear and there and performed a few proper stretches, “Let’s get to it then” he stated, before smirking mischievously, “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you try to wrestle one of my mud clones, build up your strength a little or work on your Taijutsu. Try to destroy him with nothing but your bare hands” he challenged, it would be a good workout for her, his clones were slow but quite strong and thus surprisingly sturdy compared to most D-rank clones. Forming a short sequence of handseals, snake to infuse his chakra with the earth element followed by the Tiger handseal for standard chakra gathering and control, the muddy replica would rise up from the dirt trail and walk it’s way over to the rocky riverbank. Shizuku would also have to watch her footing to an extent, many of the rocks, were still slippery and even the sections of more fine-grained sand would make quick movements slightly more difficult and tiring. Just in case Shizuku managed to take down the clone with less difficulty than he imagined Yozei prepared a second clone, forming the hand seals again before the clone moved into position next to him.

Now there would be three Yozei’s standing across from the girl though only one would advance towards her. It stood with its palms open, standing with a very slight hunch as it moved towards her and attempted to grab her by the shoulders and wrestle her to the ground. Yozei wondered how she would react, the girl had claimed she wanted to focus her skills towards taijutsu and that would require both skill and good physical attributes. Soon he would get a good idea of what the girls baseline in ability was and how much promise she might have. Regardless he would push his teammate towards achieving the pinnacle of her potential.

510/1000 Ninjutsu Training

[Kabu]

"For now that sounds like a good idea. Finesse and overall physical strength are my biggest weaknesses as of now,. I'm not entirely fast either but we can work on that later. Shizuku said in response to Yozei's suggestion, setting the basket down and stretching out, making sure to loosen up as much as possible. She may not have been the most physically fit but even she knew that stretching was very important, especially for someone such as herself, where any misstep could very well lead to pulling a muscle or worse.

She was determined though, she was going to get stronger right here and right now!

And to assist in that was a trio of mud clones that Yozei had created, the sight of them causing her to shiver just a bit. She had to admit that despite their usefulness the thought that someone could so easily create a replica of themselves still unnerved her just a little bit, though she knew she would grow used to it over time.

Anyways, there was no time to be thinking about things like that as the first of the clones soon approached. Getting into position, she waited for it to approach and move to attack before making her own move, keeping her footing steady as she ducked under the attack and lunged forward, very aware that she was sliding a bit due to the wet, muddy ground, and proceed to repeatedly palm strike the clone's chest, putting in much force as possible as she knew full well that no individual attack would do any good in her current state. Heck, she could practically feel her strikes bouncing off even despite the effort she was putting in. Hopefully though even with her very limited strength a repeated barrage would prove to be more effective than any single strike.

Strength: 304/1000

[Izanagi]

Yozei would watch carefully as Shizuku combated his mud clones, not only to see how she did but also to assess how he might be able to improve on his clones. Many of his tactics revolved around them and if he could make them stronger and faster, more capable in a fight they could more easily pass for him and allow him to catch his opponent more off guard. Even more appealing was the idea of infusing explosive properties into his clones instead of having to rely on precious exploding tags to achieve the same result, he could even combine tags with exploding clones for a more potent combination. Doton had many applications though his style didn’t rely too heavily on defense, more about layering attacks from various sources.

He was considering which seals he could utilize to add in explosive properties and also considering how much chakra it might take to grant his clones more physical might. If he was going to start doing that it was likely it would be best to only create one at a time in order to conserve chakra. Despite these thoughts he remained vaguely aware of the skirmish that was taking place. He frowned a little as he realized how weak her palm strikes were, there wasn’t even much notable technique to them, more of a frantic action based more off of instinct than any real training. Honestly Yozei wasn’t very skilled in hand to hand combat either but he had been learning how to improvise to some extent, picking up basic movement patterns from watching Hanako and receiving tips here and there from his father who started off with a heavy taijutsu focus before branching off and learning hundreds of ninjutsu techniques. It seemed that Yozei was more likely to take the opposite approach if anything. It was difficult for him to focus on taijutsu training when he had developed such a talent for ninjutsu, the allure of such a remarkable art consuming his interests and becoming the core of his style of fighting.

As Shizuku ducked under the clones grasp her strikes would land true though the clone would lean in, putting its weight on her and attempting to grab at her back and hold her in place. Meanwhile another clone would move around and aim to punch Shizuku in the side. If she kept up her strikes against the first clone she would eventually destroy it but end up covered in mud, making defending against the second clone quite difficult. ‘Good, my clones are pretty strong and can take a few hits’ he observed, it was fulfilling to see them have some uses. “You can do it Shizuku, put your whole body into your strikes, don’t just hit straight on with your arms!” he encouraged, hoping that his advice made sense. It was one of the first things Takeo had taught him, the importance planting one’s feet, rotating the hips, building power in the core and striking with that build up momentum, even twisting the fist to better generate impact. There were so many fine details when it came to even a simple punch but maybe with some trial and error Shizuku would figure out how to better draw upon her true power.


510+543= 1053/1000 Ninjutsu Training